Been meaning to post this for two years...finally got a picture of it in action. This is my homemade dehydrator. It holds approximately 30 square feet of meet, and was built for a little over $50. The racks were bought on Ebay from a bakery in Wisconsin (I think). I have run three or four deer through it, and it works pretty good! I used to have one of those little round dehydrators...took waaaay too long!
Homemade dehydrator
- Thread starter ANTLER VALLEY
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I put a ceramic cone-shaped heating element in a light socket in the bottom, pointing upward. The heat is a little uneven-I think an oven element would work better, maybe even a stovetop element. I drilled a 2" hole in the top and a half a dozen or so 3/8" holes around the bottom, and as the air is heated by the element, it naturally rises out the hole in top, and draws in new air from the bottom. I had a blower fan in it but had it in the wrong place. I took it off and it actually dried meat better without it. I have to move the trays around and turn them (front to back) to get it to dry evenly. It will dehydrate about 1/3 of a deer per day...
Phillip
You are making me think if I pull the racks out of my 20,000 egg incubator I could convert it.
You are making me think if I pull the racks out of my 20,000 egg incubator I could convert it.
Smoking_44 said:
That is my smallest one I have two others 3 x that size I had a hatchery before our great President decided he wanted to put more corn into that worthless green fuel. That and our electric went so high I had to close my hatchery ( I do have my freezer full of pheasants, Quail, and Partridge.)
I don't know why it wouldn't work-I've never tried jerky with chick down, though!
I just used treated plywood, maybe 7/16", was all I had, then the shelf holds are 2x2's.
Phillip, How about drilling 3 or 4 3/4" holes spread around the top
instead of 1 2" hole. Do you think it would dry more evenly?
Chuck
instead of 1 2" hole. Do you think it would dry more evenly?
Chuck
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